I almost forgot...

For those of you who thought I spent all my time at Disneyland, here is proof that I actually sang with the Crystal Cathedral Choir. Click here then click on the anthem.

It just keeps getting better and better

Last week was incredibly fulfilling. From observing some of the finest university choral singing and conducting in the country to singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in rehearsal to hiking in the Arches National Park in Southeastern Utah, it has been a week I'll never forget.

This morning at the Tabernacle on Temple Square, I was granted permission to observe the taping of Music and the Spoken Word from inside the control room. What a unique perspective that was! Following the broadcast, conductor/composer Mack Wilberg and I had a very meaningful half-hour visit in his office.

I'm constantly learning the value of knowing what one wants and then asking for it. Remember that the worst answer you can get in those situations is "no". And on this journey, I've yet to hear that word.

I leave you tonight with wisdom from Joseph Campbell: "Follow your bliss. The heroic life is living the individual adventure. There is no security in following the call to adventure. Nothing is exciting if you know what the outcome is going to be. To refuse the call means stagnation. What you don't experience positively you will experience negatively. You enter the forest at the darkest point, where there is no path. Where there is a way or path, it is someone else's path. You are not on your own path. If you follow someone else's way, you are not going to realize your potential."

Have a great week!

Week 1 in Utah

I arrived in Provo, UT, late Sunday. On Monday, I was invited to join my friend, Dr. Stephen Jones, (Fine Arts Dean at BYU) and his beautiful family for an afternoon tour of the new Draper Utah LDS temple near Provo. There are just over 100 LDS temples in the world. 12 of them are here in Utah. (There is also one in Dallas...perhaps you've seen it.) It's been almost 30 years since the last one was built here. The public can tour temples during "open house" prior to their dedication. Once the temple is dedicated, entrance to it is restricted to those who apply for and receive a "temple recommend" from their bishop. The most common ordinances that take place in a temple are marriage, confirmation, sealing of children to families, the endowment, and baptism for the dead. Here is a page with a bit more information on those temple ordinances.

For a Methodist boy, this was a unique and intriguing opportunity! The Draper Utah Temple is built of the finest materials including granite from China, Makore wood from Africa, and limestone from France. The "celestial room" was particularly stunning. The construction lasted two years. Read more on the Draper Temple here.

These two weeks will be intense. I'll be in rehearsals, lessons and classes at BYU most days. On Friday of this week, I'll be at University of Utah to meet and observe Dr. Brady Allred and his choirs. Brady was a student of Ron Staheli at BYU and Don Neuen at Eastman. It's a small world, indeed! Today, Stephen called Mack Wilberg (Morman Tabernacle Choir director) and asked if I could attend rehearsal this Thursday. Wilberg invited me to sing with them! And, I was asked to provide a brief bio so that Wilberg can introduce me to the choir. What an opportunity!

The weather here is not bad. We had a bit of snow today, but the rest of the week should be nice. To say the mountains that surround this place are stunning is a gross understatement. When the skies clear, I'll post some pics. More soon!

Final set of California pics

For all those who think Crystal Cathedral can do nothing but FORTE, I'm here to tell you this morning would prove you wrong. It was a comtemplative service that included Holy Communion, beautiful solos, an expressive anthem with flute and cello, and appropriately beautiful organ improvisations. You might find it interesting to note this type of service is much more common on the "non-taping" Sundays. The non-taping services focus more on the local congregation (the folks actually in the pews) and the taping services focus on the world-wide tv audience.

I had a great time in Pasadena on Saturday. The Fred Bock Institute and Fuller Seminary sponsored a workshop with presenters Gloria Gaither and Michael Hawn of SMU. I would have paid the money just to see those two side-by-side! It was great. Gloria spent most of her time effectively expressing her heart for worship and the church today. Michael was the nuts and bolts guy as he exposed us to seven streams of influence on church music since Vatican II. If you're interested in knowing what those streams are, email me. I'd be happy to share.

I'm sitting in LAX, waiting for my flight to Salt Lake City. Perhaps a good night's rest wouldn't be so bad at this point. Hope your week is off to a great start, my friends.

More pics

1. UCLA Choir rehearsal
2. Paul Salamunovich
3. Professor Neuen
4. Jon Bailey
5. Malibu sunset

More California pictures

1. Beth and Sean Groombridge
2. Don and Sue Neuen
3. Gloria Gaither
4. Looking west from Palm Springs
5. Sean and Fred Swann

The California journey comes to a close

It's not easy to leave this place. At some point last year, a wise friend told me to be prepared to learn more about myself than what I learn from others during this sabbatical. That person was correct, but I'll add that it is only through others that I learn more about myself. God has always blessed me with the best of friends. I leave this place with even more. Don Neuen is my new hero...indeed one of the most gracious and inspiring men to walk this earth. His beautiful wife Sue is a precious soul. I feel that I've gained a brother and sister in Sean and Beth Groombridge. I absorbed so much while here. My head is spinning, and my heart is overflowing. Thank you, God, for two weeks that will forever change my life.

Southern California Double Rainbow

You must look closely to see the outer band, but it's there.

Thursday/Friday Highlights

Thursday:
-My memorable visit with Paul Salamunovich
-Meeting the rest of the music staff at Crystal Cathedral
-Sitting in on a script run-through for Sunday morning worship at CC
-Choir rehearsal at CC
-Dinner with Don and Sue Neuen and Sean and Beth Groombridge Sean and Beth are on staff at CC. If you watch Hour of Power online or on TV, you'll recognize Sean as principal organist; Beth is a wonderful soprano in the choir.

Friday:
Sean was kind enough to drive me to Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, etc...then have me over to their place for dinner. The day was full of stimulating conversation.

I'll post pics soon. Have a great weekend, my friends.

Southerners do not hold the copyright on hospitality

Every day I'm amazed even more at how gracious these folks are in California. After spending three hours interviewing Don Neuen at his lovely home on Tuesday, I had a great evening meal and visit with Jon Bailey. Jon and I have a mutual friend who is a member of my sabbatical council. I'm very thankful for the connection. I feel like a tiny ant at the feet of musical giants. Wednesday was a long day, and I loved every minute of it. It began with the choral conducting class at UCLA. [Side note: Just when I was really beginning to feel like one of the students, I had a conversation with one of Don's grad assistants. We were talking about Southern California weather and she said "I think one time when I was very young...just a tiny thing...way back in 1991 or so, it snowed in L.A." 1991, huh? I was quickly snapped back into reality about my age!] This afternoon I observed my second chorale rehearsal. Around 5:30 I had dinner with Don and his wife Sue at a great little restaurant near the school. Perhaps the musical highlight of the day occurred this evening at a 2 1/2 hour orchestra rehearsal where Don's students conducted. This has inspired me to visit more orchestra rehearsals in the future. Perhaps I'll even have time to do this in Utah. Off to pack and then to sleep. I'm transferring to a hotel near the Crystal Cathedral tomorrow. I'll stay there until Sunday when I come back into L.A. Before I leave L.A. in the morning, I have the opportunity to visit with the legendary Paul Salamunovich. Wow!

The California adventure begins

Just a quick update to let you guys know that this part of the journey is already more exciting than I imagined it would be. I have meetings and dinners lined up this week with folks I don't deserve to know. Today's experience at UCLA was exhilarating. I think I gained more insight, both practical and philosophical in nature, in one day than I have in all the conventions and workshops I've attended since graduate school. Don Neuen is simply amazing. Today he spent every single minute he could with me between classes and rehearsals. He even gave me his faculty ID number so that I could eat whenever, on his tab, at the faculty center! Then he drove me back to my hotel at 7 tonight when rehearsals were over. Tomorrow I'm spending several hours with him, on his day off, at his home. And this is just the beginning.